Junior guard Chris De La Rosa led the America East Conference in assists per game last season.

Aug 03, 2010

The UMBC men's basketball team will open its
25th season of NCAA Division I competition on
Sunday, Nov. 14, when the host a high-powered V.M.I. Keydets' squad
at the RAC Arena. Tip-off time is set for 3:00 p.m.

The contest vs. V.M.I. is the first of 13 non-conference
contests for the Retrievers. The schedule is highlighted by four
games vs. Baltimore-area rivals and a pair of games at Big East
Conference heavyweights U. Conn (Dec. 3) and Notre Dame (Dec. 22)
.

UMBC will face the Huskies and Fightin' Irish for the first time
ever in men's basketball.

"It is a very attractive schedule which will prepare us very
well for our America East Conference schedule, which is always
very, very competitive," said seventh-year head coach Randy
Monroe.

Five of the 13 games will be played at the RAC Arena. UMBC will
host long-time rival CentralConnecticut State on
Nov. 20, and goes on a five-game road swing before returning home
to entertain Towson on Dec. 11. Three nights
later, American University invades the RAC Arena
(Dec. 14) and the Retrievers close the non-conference portion of
the slate on Dec. 30 as they host another first-time foe
in Niagara University.

The Retrievers' first road contest is on Nov. 17 when they visit
Loyola and other short trips include games at
locals Coppin State (Nov. 23) and Morgan State (Dec.
18).

"We should be playing all of the local schools. It is exciting
for the players, the coaches, the administrators, and should be for
all local college basketball fans as
well," Monroe said.

V.M.I. has led the nation in scoring offense in each of the past
four seasons. After a 24-8 campaign in 2008-09, the Keydets were
10-19 a year ago, but still averaged 88.6 points per game. The game
will mark the first meeting between the two schools and UMBC's
first contest against a member of the Big South Conference since
the 1997-98 season, the Retrievers' final year as a member of that
conference.

"We've obviously got to stop them from scoring a lot of points.
That's what they do. It should be an interesting game and an
exciting way to start the season," Monroe said.

UMBC's America East slate is expected to be announced later this
summer. The 2011 Men's Basketball Championships will be
held on March 3-6, 2011 at The Chase Family Arena at the Reich
Family Pavilion on University of Hartford's
campus.